Swivel for rotary well-drilling rigs.



E. E. GREVE.

SWIVELl FOR ROTARY WELL DRILLING RIGS'.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. |917.

Patented Mar.-19, 1918.

INVENTOR j. Allawi l UNITED STATES PATENT OPPICE.I

EDGARE. GREVE, o E BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To OIL' WELL SUPPLY COMPANY, OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OE IENNsYLVANIA.

SWIVEL EOR ROTARY- WELL-DRILLING RIGs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. GREVE, a citizenv of the United States, residing at, Bellevue, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin Swiv-v els for Rotary Well-Drilling Rigs, of whichthe following is a specification. l

My inventlon relates to swivels for rotary well drilling rigsand` its objects are to prolong the life of the swivel and avoid loss .of

4 time in making-repairs by the `provision of- 30. 4ing of the surface of the head by the tongs;

means for inclosing and thus protecting the of the swivel; to provide means to permlt a free 'relative rotation of the body and head and to prevent friction between these parts' when the weight of the swivel is supported by the vpipe and removed from the bail; to:

provide anti-friction means for preventingA side thrust and lmeans for enabling such.

parts to be readily removed; to provldej effectively for the adjustment of thebearings; to guard the bearings'of thehead against mud and liquid; to provide means for the escape of mud, or water or oil should theyA venter between'thelpipe and head, and to enable leaking of the packings to be indicated;

provide means for preventing roughento provide for the effective retention ofthe lubricant in the head and body, and to gen erally improve the construction fof swivels for rotary7 drilling apparatus.

With these objects in view, my inventionis embodied in preferable form in the conof the improved swivel, one-half being taken f suspended by a bail from a hoisting on a plane at right angles to the other half. 4Referring to the drawing, 1 is the body of the swivel, consisting of an annular casing surrounding the head and water-pipe and the bearings, and adaptedv to be pivgllzally oc as is usual, and within which body e head A and pipe are adapted to rotate inw the rela# tive swiveling action of the parts. The head 2 is supported on anti-friction bearings 1n the body and has an elongated depending cylindrical sleeve or stem inclosing the water pipe to the lower end of the latter 'and engaging a coupling adapted to connect to Specication of Letters Patent.

v adapted to carry `mud and bearings and other relatively movable parts Aservesto'iix it in placeafteradjustment.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application led February 24, 1917. Serial No. l150,693.

.Threaded onto the upper end of the water pipe is a goose-neck 6, connected by a union'nut 7 to a hose nozzle 8, which is adapted` to connect as is usual to a hose pump tothe water pipe.

v Between the head and the 'bushing are` mounted'the ball bearings 9 which perform thel important function of supporting anti,

Orzthe b y, bail, cap, etc., when the bail hangs loose and does not suspend the swivel,

against the bottom ofthe well. In this position, the bearings 9 `take the weight of theA -ju'stable bushing 4 for taking. up wear in the bearings and from which the -ca i and body are suspended is an important a junct ofthis feature. It will 'be noted that the Ybearings 9 are completely protected against y dust and dirt in the atmosphere by the instruction, arrangement and combination Y.

water from the "frictionall the upper portion of the Swivel 'as when the end of the drillpipe is resting y v closing 'cap and the head and bushing, and

.the load ofthe drill pipe. These bearings are surrounded at their inner periphery by valso from mud and liquid by the threaded the annular wall of the cylindrical stem or f the head and at their outerperiphery by' a' cylindrical annular flange extendingupwardly from the body l which flange meets and isclamped against the protecting cap 3.

Bymeans of this arrangement it will be seen v thatthe bearings are entirely-inclosed and protected against .the atmosphere andare. also spaced from the pipe by ,the healspiio `that there i ing from the body 1 is a suspending bail 11v4 f the usual construction and which is adapted to .be lsupported by ar hook, depending from the hoisting block as is usual in hyswivel body.

draulic rotary drills. v

Mounted between the body and the cylindrical stem of the head, below the main bearings 10, are. vertical roller bearings 12 adapted to take the side thrust of the head.

13 designates vertical rods connecting the rings of lthese bearings and which rings and .rods constitute a cage whereby the bearings may .be lifted out asa body from the swivel.

Between the stem of the head-and the lowerv annular portion offthe body is mounted a gland 14 threaded into the body and adapted to pack 0H -the swivel -headufromjthe body and thereby retain the lubricatingoil in the latter.` A lock nut 15 is provided for this gland 14. Above the gland and in a passageway projecting laterally through the body 1 is mounted a Idrain plug 16, whereby the oil may be drained from the 17 is a screw plug threaded into alateral passageway extending through the body 1 and bearing against a spring 39, which in turn bears against a retaining pin 40, which acts toA retain the outer liner v36 of the roller-bearings l2 in place. 37 is the inner liner for these bearings and 18 s are spring actuatedplu'gs for holding said 35 inner liner 37 in place. The-roller bearings 12 are adapted torevolve on a ring or plate 20 supported -`on Aan inwardly projecting flange of. the body 1, and 21 isa pintor holding this plate'in position. The water .pipe'or tube 19 is threaded atv its upper end into the gooseneck and at its lower end is in communication with a coupling which in turn is connected with the drill p1 e; It will be understood that theppipe. or tube 19 forms a passageway for the mud laden fluid from the pump to the drill stem as is customary in hydraulic rotary drilling apparatus and that the tube'and head are separated by a slight clearance and it is important to prevent the mud and water from entering the space between the pipe and the head and thence working into-the bearings,

and also important to prevent the escape of the oil. Formed in` the stem of the head near the lower end of the same is a longitudinally elongated annular recess 22 adapted to receive a packing betweenthe stem and the pipe, Below the packing in this chamber the stem of the head is provided with an inwardly` projecting abutment shoulder The'packing in the space 22 extends inside of this shoulder land slightly below the same. Thisshoulder is adapted to serve as a limiting stop or abutment .for a separator ring 24- mounted below the shoulder geteste Nadapted to register with a lateral poit or v ports 42 leading vthrough theA wall of the stem to the atmosphere and which passageways 43 and ports 42 are adapted to permit the escape of mud or Water or oil from between the pipe and stem, and thus to prevent the passage of themud or water to the gland 22 and also to serve as indicating means whereby the leaking of the packings may be ydetected and 'the glands may be tightened accordingly to'prevent th'e leak- 1n'y y L, i

Aelowthe separator ring 24 isa packing 25 adapted to be pressed against by a gland 85 26 which `"carries fa vlock nut 27. I The packing 25 isfor the purpose ofpreventing the entrance of mud and water from the pipe 19 into the space between said. pipeand the stem of the head. The shoulder 23 prevents 90 the separator ring from being pushed up-` wardly in the compressing action on the packings 25 and 22, and thus prevents the passageways 43 from being pushed past the port 42, thereby maintaining registry between the passage and the port at all times. i

By the provision of 'shoulder 23, the' separator can be'pushed up` tightly against the` same in the compressing action against the I. packing and the port will still remain open and if the oil then leaksout, the separator ring must be removed and new packing inserted.

The lower end of the stem of the head is threaded into a screw coupling 28, which serves to connect the swivel head with 'the` drill pipe. v

The diameter of a portion of the stein is slightly reduced aslindicated at 45. This reduced portion 45 is adapted to be engaged 110 by grappling tongs in screwing the vswivel into the pipe@ By making the diameter of the stem'slightly reduced, as stated, any cutting or burring caused by the grappling tongs on such portionv will not interfere with 115 the free withdrawal of the-head through the body of the swivel, when it is desired to separate the parts.-

Mounted on a shoulder of the gooseneck is a clamping plate 41 which is adapted to 120 be fixed to thel bushing 4 by means i of bolts 33.

Formed in the upper surface of the iiange of the head 2 are tap recesses 34 which are adapted to receive means for use in lelevating the head 2, when dismantling the apparatus.

In the cap 3is provided a screw .plug35 adapted to closev an opening through.. which oil is supplied to the head and bearings.

' .cured to the body, an adjustable load carry-- It will be seen that the above construction and arrangement provides a swivel in which the bearings are entirely inclosed from the atmosphere and thereby protected against the entrance of dust and dirt and in which the oil is eifectively retained within the head and any leaking thereof indicated to the operator by its escape through the port 42 so that the paclrings may be tightened andalso lany mud and water that may enter between the pipe and the head led off through the port 42, before they reach the upper packing 22 and also that all these packings may be readily tightened and removed by means of the glands and the separating ring. It will also be seen that the necessary anti-friction action between the swiveling parts of the device when the drill is resting at the bottom of the well and consequently the weight is not suspended from the bail is effectively taken care of by means of the bearings 9 which can be readily adjusted by the bushing which is accessible from the exterior.

The side thrust bearings together with their feature of ready removability as an entirety, also constitute an important feature.

Vhat I claim is l. In swivels for well drilling apparatus, the combination of a body, a -swivel-stem having a head, a centrally apertured cap seing plug entered in the cap'opening, a lock nut therefor, and an anti-friction bearing between the upper face of the head and the inner end of the plug.

2. In swivels forwell drilling apparatus,h

the combination of a body, a swivelstem having a head, a caphaving a. centrally' disposed threaded aperture, a threaded adjustable plug entered in the cap-aperture, a lock nut therefor, and an anti-friction bearing between the upper face of the head and the inner end of the plug.

3. In swivels for well drilling apparatus, the combination of a body, a swivel-stem having a head, a centrally apertured cap secured to the body, an adjustable plug to' which the cap is connected, anti-friction bearings between the upper facev of the head and the inner end of the plug, a goose-neck, and means for detachably clamping the v goose-neck to the plug.

4. In swivels for well drilling apparatus,

the combination of a body, a centrally aper tured cap for the body, a lswivel-stem having a head, means connected to the body. forv suspending the swivel, anti-friction beared to carry the load when the swivel is suspended, means adapted to carry the weight ofthe body when the head is supported from below including an adjustable plug entered in the opening of the cap and antifriction means between the head and the plug.

5. In swivels for welldrilling apparatus, the combination of a body, a centrally apertured cap for the body, a swivel-stem hav ing a head, mea'nsconnected to the body for suspending the swivel, anti-frictionv bearings between the head and body and adapted to carry the load when the swivel is suspended, means adapted to carry the weight of the body when the head is supported ,from below including an adjustable plug entered in the opening of the cap and antifriction means between the head and the plug, and an anti-,friction side thrust bear- .ing between the stem and body and below pended, a swivel head within said body,

said head and body provided with opposing laterally projected horizontal bearing surfaces, anti-friction bearings between said surfaces adapted to take the load when the swivel is suspended, antifriction bearings between the head and hollow member and above the first bearings adapted to carry the load when the swivel is supported from below the same,` and said head having a depending stem and anti-friction side thrust bearings between said stem and body and below the first bearings.

7. In swivels for well drilling apparatus, the combination vof a body, a swivel-stem having a head and a lower threaded end for engagement with the drill pipe, said stem below its head having a portion of its exterior recessed to form .tong engaging means whereby the stem may be engaged by the tongs within the peripheral surfaces thereof, thereby preventing-cutting or burvring sufficient to interfere` vwith the free 

